Those of you on Twitter already know exactly what this means. In the spirit of one of the greatest to ever play the game here’s my tribute to the favorite saying of one Mr. Deion Sanders.

This should come as no surprise that I’m ready to explode about something. Only now it’s some of our “younger” contingency that has me a little perplexed, tweaked, disheleved, etc.; Here’s the deal. We are currently in the midst of the most important period during the season and if you’re wondering if I’m talking about football, yes. Yes I am.

You see there’s these things called combines (not just the Ignite) going on right now and you’re “game” is not very tight. Some of y’all need a H.O.P. (Hold On Playa) with regards to throwing out excuses as to why you ain’t cutting it. 

Prime example, I’m on Facebook the other night and I see someone claiming they can’t get their registration turned in at the deadline cause their internet is not working; H.O.P. how did you send this message on Facebook then?! Now before y’all start freaking out about me needing some sensitivity training and whatnot saying maybe his family can’t afford internet let me hit YOU with a H.O.P…I’ve taught in two of the Top 3 WORST performing school districts in the State of Florida and had kids get dropped off at my front door by the police more than the yellow school bus. I don’t need a cookie, I need a straight jacket. And not from the violence or the potential thereof, but from the lame excuses that I got as a teacher as to “why” it wasn’t their fault.

I know for a fact there’s going to be a kid at Ignite Combine without a hand (literally…he was born with only one), but can run the ball with better fundamentals than most and I dare you to try and strip it from him. Go ahead. I dare you. Instead, you’re trying to tell someone that you can’t take two seconds to print out something that could literally be the ONE chance you get when you could just as easily act as if you’re working on that history paper in the Media Center that you conned your teacher into giving you that hall pass in the first place. We all know why you’re there.  You were trying to “holla” at someone from another class. It’s all good. Seems like you’re the one playing russian roulette with your life in my opinion though. It’s not life or death really that you make a combine (or at least to you it isn’t) but understand that if you have the same goals as those that treat it as such (life or death that is) you’ll be WAITING to make a difference more often than actually BEING the difference. Just my two cents. You figure it out.

In this day and age, the time spent away from the gridiron without the pads can make or break you and here’s why. The combines and 7v7 tournaments allow the media to get closest to you. During the season, they are dispersed throughout the region, state, and country and can only find out through word-of-mouth. Take it from someone on both sides, this can be a good AND bad thing. (Kind of like a tornado…absolutely stunning from a far, but pure destruction if caught in the middle of it’s path and you’re not prepared.) Do you want to leave it completely to chance that someone with the ability to influence a lot of people MAY or MAY NOT make it to one of your games?

Next, the ability to get to the media all at once and use that for your own benefit is undervalued from the players end in many cases. Leave the big boys (ESPN, Rivals, Maxpreps) out of this for a second. If you’re not one of those “marquee” players but happen to be attending something in which other top-notch players are, you can bet dollars-to-doughnuts that they can make you a near overnight celebrity if they want to. All it takes is for you to have some gumption and man up. Do what you gotta do. Nobody said this was rocket science. Not that he was going to need it, but ask Chickillo what getting hot at the right time of the year, not necessarily the right time of season meant for his perception. That young man is the definition of an opportunist and so can you be as well.

Finally. None of this. AND I MEAN NONE OF IT means anything unless one thing. (I think you know what’s coming next)…Believe it or not, the 2nd or 3rd question (sometimes even 1st if the size is obvious) is…”What are the grades?”

Fellas, I cannot stress this enough. If you’re game is not tight in the classroom, then you get a HOP in more ways than one. Hold On Playa for making us give you what is most precious to us and that’s time and energy, and a Hold On Playing (literally) for not being a part of the equation any longer. If the Godfather taught us anything it’s the difference between business and personal. Know the difference and you too can become your own best businessman on the planet. After all, this is the business of YOU.